Boronia amplectens explained

Boronia amplectens is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is only known from two specimens collected from the Arnhem Land plateau in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is a sprawling shrub with narrow elliptic leaves and four-petalled flowers.

Description

Boronia amplectens is a sprawling shrub that grows to 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. Its branches are covered with star-like hairs. The leaves are narrow elliptic, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide with a petiole NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The flowers are usually arranged singly in leaf axils on a pedicel up to NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The four sepals are larger than the petals, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The four petals are NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long but increase in length as the fruit develops. Flowering has been observed in March and May and the fruit is a capsule about 4.5sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide.[1]

Taxonomy and naming

Boronia amplectens was first formally described in 1997 by Marco Duretto who published the description in Australian Systematic Botany.[2] The specific epithet (amplectens) is derived from the Latin word amplector meaning "encircle", "enfold" or "embrace".[3]

Distribution and habitat

This boronia is only known from two plants growing on the Arnhem Land plateau in the Northern Territory.

Notes and References

  1. Duretto . Marco . Systematics of Boronia section Valvatae sensu lato (Rutaceae) . Muelleria . 1999 . 12 . 1 . 102 . 21 February 2019 . 6 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200406125654/https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/documents/Pages_from_Muelleria_12(1),_p87-131,_Duretto,_Sytematics_Boronia-3.pdf . dead .
  2. Web site: Boronia amplectens. APNI. 21 February 2019.
  3. Book: Brown. Roland Wilbur. The Composition of Scientific Words. 1956. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, D.C.. 298.